Chapter 141

Meadow’s POV

Alaric’s eyes held mine, calm and heated. I couldn’t look away even if I wanted to. Couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move. I was standing close enough to him that my exposed leg brushed against the side of his pants. He was fully clothed, and yet, I still managed to feel his heat against my skin.

My fingers twitched at my sides, and I inhaled through my parted lips.

Behind me, Tyler scoffed. “What the hell are you trying to do here?”

“It’s simple.” Alaric didn’t hesitate. “You may choose to stay or leave. But if you leave, you’ll be choosing to spend a long time in prison for embezzlement and rape—”

“But I didn’t—”

“You would’ve.” He didn’t miss a beat. “And that is all I need to know to make sure you’d never get out of there. You should know by now not to test me, Cross.”

I risked a glance at Tyler—at the set in his jaw, the glare he was shooting my way, the way his fingers dug into the seat. He arched a brow at me,